Kuwait handed over command of the naval force for security in Gulf waters

MANAMA, Sept 6, (KUNA): General Directorate of the Kuwaiti Coast Guards on Thursday took over command of the 31-member Combined Task Force CTF-152 from the Royal Saudi Navy. Kuwait’s Interior Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Border Security, Major General Sheikh Salem Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah, affirmed in a statement to KUNA, following the hand-over ceremony, the Kuwaiti Navy keenness on bolstering cooperation and security coordination with other naval forces operating in the Gulf region.

Meanwhile, the joint force commander, Colonel Saleh Al-Foudari, has affirmed in a statement that the joint force is tasked with securing waterways in the Arabian Gulf region. The Kuwaiti Coast Guards, which take command of the joint force till September next year, is ready to fulfill the duties; securing the waterways, combating trafficking, piracy, conserving the marine life and fighting other illegal activities in the region, he affirmed. The joint command groups elite officers from GCC states, Jordan, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The force, formed in 2004 with personnel from 31 member states, is primarily charged with securing navigation across the Arabian Gulf. Meanwhile, Bahrain’s Coast Guard Commander held talks with a Kuwaiti official on Wednesday, focusing on measures to boost maritime cooperation.

In his meeting with the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary for Border Security Major General Sheikh Salem Al- Nawaf, Bahraini Coast Guard Commander Major General Alaa Siyadi illustrated the expanding role of the Gulf island state’s navy, according to state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA). The Kuwaiti official was also acquainted with the latest marine projects and systems Manama has introduced, BNA added.